The beautiful modern Church of St. Lazarus in Bethany is built by architect Antonio Barluzzi in 1952-53, at the site where Jesus raised Lazarus from dead (John 11). Although the church is recent, it has been built on the ruins of earlier three churches from 12th, 5th and 4th centuries. Remains of these churches are still visible along the perimeters and inside the modern church. There are official records from 4th Century AD onwards mentioning the site being venerated as the 'Tomb of Lazarus' & 'the House of Martha, Mary and Lazarus'. The Church historian Eusebius (330 AD), an anonymous Pilgrim of Bordeaux (333 AD), St. Jerome (390 AD) and the Pilgrim Egeria (410 AD) describe the site then known as "Lazarium". Egeria even describes the liturgy as it was carried out during the services in the 4th century church that stood over the site. Bethany was rediscovered only quite recently. The archaeological excavations directed by Fr. Sylvester J. Saller, in 1949 to 1953, brought biblical Bethany back to limelight. Here is an excellent online article on Bethany and the archaeological excavations carried out.
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